Tokyo based percussionist, songwriter and free improvisor Samm Bennett’s latest offering is Oscillendulum, a pretty weird collection of works for Juno 60 synthesizer. Recorded in 2005, the works have remained largely unheard until now.
This is what he has to say about it:
“Now, I’m not a synthesizer player, per se. Drummer, percussionist, singer and songwriter, dabbler in certain idiosyncratic string instruments, avid squeezer of rubber pigs and chickens, yes, all of the above and a little more, but synth player or specialist? No, not at all. Wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to do with this relatively heavy and bulky 61-key beast. Truth be told, reselling it at a handsome profit seemed likely. Once I started tinkering with it, though, I fell in love with the very pleasing sounds I began coaxing out of it, and immediately began recording the results.”
He began experimenting, particularly by reducing the attack on his sounds and layering his pieces over each other creating a peculiar unkept polyrhythmic world. He describes the results as “sort of like a bucket of eels as opposed to a bucket of Rubik’s cubes!” We think it sounds more like a bag of cats chasing a bucket of eels, but each to their own. Regardless it’s pretty damn unique.
Oscillendulum releases on the 4th of September 2020 on the ever reliable Room40. You can preorder here.
